Colleges: Eric Green helps provide right mix for Holy Cross men

Holy Cross men's basketball coach Milan Brown didn't really doubt the numbers on the chart he reviewed after HC's win over NJIT back in December, but he wanted to go back to the game tape and count forward Eric Green's 15 deflections for himself.

Sure enough, the 6-foot-4 sophomore had his hands in the passing lanes, disrupting NJIT's offense and tying a season-high with five steals.

"He has really good anticipation for the ball," Brown said. "He's like a really good safety or cornerback that can sniff things out before they happen."

Green joined the starting lineup in late November after sophomore guard Cullen Hamilton went down with a knee injury and moved into the 3 position when junior Malcolm Miller took over at the 4 after HC's loss to American in early January. That marked the start of the Crusaders' turnaround. They've won 11 of their last 14 games heading into tonight's Patriot League Tournament quarterfinal.

"We've come together a lot, especially during league play," Green said.

Green, who was the Independent School League Defensive Player of the Year his senior season at St. Mark's in Southboro, did not play last year. He was declared ineligible for the season due to the NCAA's delayed enrollment rule. Green attended high school in California for three years, was reclassified as a sophomore when he enrolled at St. Mark's in 2009, and competed beyond the NCAA's one-year grace period. Holy Cross tried to get a waiver, but its appeal was denied.

Green was allowed to practice with the Crusaders last year, and he used those sessions to his advantage.

"I worked on my ballhandling and my shooting and getting a feel of how it would be playing this year," Green said. "It was pretty tough, but Coach told me to keep working. He was counting down the days until I could play. He kept me motivated. I just kept working."

When he made his collegiate debut in HC's 2013-14 opener against Harvard, his whole family traveled 3,000 miles from Mountain House, Calif., to be there.

Green has greatly aided HC's defensive performance over the second half of the season. In the last 16 games, opponents are averaging 60.4 points. During the first 14, foes averaged 72.2 points against HC.

Green averaged 4.1 rebounds and with 51 steals led the team and ranked fifth in the PL. He averaged 8.1 points and 4.1 assists.

"He guards the best player for the most part, and he's given us versatility on the defensive end so we've been able to switch a little bit more," Brown said. "Offensively, he's another slasher, someone who can get to the basket because he can handle the ball so well. He's a shot-in-the-arm guy for us. You never know when he's going to get a big-time dunk or a blocked shot. He's a momentum guy for us for sure."

Green and Miller have really brought some excitement to the Hart Center this winter with their athleticism and building-shaking slams. Green had a pair of dunks in last Saturday's regular-season finale against Boston University.

"Eric's been solid all year," senior forward Dave Dudzinski said. "He's just super quick. He gets off the ground faster than probably anyone in the Patriot League, so having a guy like that is huge."

Green is admittedly not a great shooter, but, under the watchful eye of Holy Cross assistant coach Brion Dunlap, has been working to develop a mid-range jumper. He has also worked tirelessly at the free throw line. Green is a 67 percent free-throw shooter on the year, but has missed only one of his last 16 foul shots.

"With his ability to slash and get to the basket, we know he's going to get to the line," Brown said. "His free throws have continued to improve and he's taken that to heart."

Holy Cross has lost in the quarterfinal round of the PL tourney each of the last three years (all three times to Lafayette). The Crusaders are looking to make much more noise this year. HC is 5-0 all-time against Lehigh in the postseason. Holy Cross will try to become the first No. 3 seed to win the PL tourney.

"The playoffs are always tough," Dudzinski said. "We know they're going to come in here all revved up. If we play the way we've been playing, we'll be fine."

Lifting women's team

Holy Cross forward Christine Ganser didn't want last year's second straight loss to Navy in the Patriot League Tournament championship to be the final game of her career. She was eager to erase that lingering memory with a great senior season.

But in October, when a blood clot formed under her collarbone, Ganser faced the likelihood that she would not play basketball again.

"There were a lot of emotions," Ganser said, "a lot of physical problems, a lot of uncertainty, a lot of vulnerability. It was the first time I was ever really sick. I realized what being healthy was."

Ganser, who started 28 games as a junior, was hospitalized for an infection in September. When she was discharged, a PICC (peripherally inserted central catheter) line was inserted to administer antibiotics. After a month, the PICC line was removed and Ganser began practicing.

Soon after, Ganser's arm swelled, the blood clot was discovered, and Ganser was told she would need to go on blood thinners for six months.

"That was tough," Ganser said. "That would be the whole season."

Ganser and her parents, Allen and Connie, conferred with specialists and Ganser went on blood thinners for three months. Remarkably, she returned to action in January.

As fifth-seeded HC (18-11) begins its quest for Patriot League title No. 12, Ganser, feeling good once again, and her teammates are preparing for Thursday's PL Tournament quarterfinal at fourth-seeded Bucknell (16-12). The Bison beat HC in both regular-season meetings.

"I think we all believe we can win," Ganser said. "I think our desire to compete and win is going to take us really far."

The 6-foot-1 Ganser played in every game the last three seasons and averaged a career-high 7 points and 4.6 rebounds as a junior. A natural power forward, she has played every position except point guard.

"She's been such a loyal warrior for this program," coach Bill Gibbons said.

During Gibbons' absence from the team earlier this season, associate coach Ann McInerney remarked regularly about Ganser's leadership qualities. She wasn't playing, but she took a special interest in helping HC's younger players, especially her sister, Madelyn, a freshman forward.

Since returning, Ganser's minutes are down (14.7), due in large part to sophomore forward Raquel Scott's superb season, but that hasn't stopped Ganser from leading — or smiling — either.

"Whatever I'm doing I try to do it to the best of my ability," Ganser said. "There's no reason to be negative."

Ganser is majoring in biology (pre-med) and wrote about her experience as a patient in a paper for her medical sociology class. An outstanding student, Ganser has been named to the Patriot League Academic honor roll and is a member of the Holy Cross Leadership Academy.

"She's a great representative of our program," Gibbons said. "She's got it all together."

With junior center Emily Parker suffering a sprained MCL in her right knee in last Saturday's regular-season finale at Boston University, Ganser could see increased playing time in the PL tourney. Parker is done for the year.

"We'll need players to step up in their roles," Gibbons said.

Senior guard Alex Smith earned All-Patriot League first-team honors for the third straight year. She averaged 13.7 points and led the league in assists per game with 5.1.

Scott, who averaged a team-high 16 points and led the PL in rebounding (9.6), earned second-team honors.

Contact Jennifer Toland at jtoland@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @JenTandG.